Manchin asks MTV to cancel "Buckwild"

December 7, 2012

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., today asked MTV to cancel the "Buckwild" show, which has been compared to an Appalachian version of the television program "Jersey Shore." The show is set in West Virginia.

The full text of the Senator's letter to MTV President Stephen K. Friedman is below:

Dear Mr. Stephen K. Friedman,

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As a proud West Virginian, I am writing to formally request that you put a stop to the travesty called "Buckwild." As a U.S. Senator, I am repulsed at this business venture, where some Americans are making money off of the poor decisions of our youth. I cannot imagine that anyone who loves this country would feel proud about profiting off of "Buckwild."

Instead of showcasing the beauty of our people and our state, you preyed on young people, coaxed them into displaying shameful behavior and now you are profiting from it. That is just wrong.

This show plays to ugly, inaccurate stereotypes about the people of West Virginia. Let me tell you: our people have given their all for this great country. They've done the heavy lifting to produce the energy that is needed to produce the steel that builds our factories and cities. The proud veterans of our state have shed more blood and made more sacrifices than most other states to keep America free. We're proud of all we do to make America strong and secure the cherished freedoms that you seem so determined to abuse.

Your program offers nothing about the major issues of our time: how we move our country forward, how we prepare young people to lead this country and take responsibility for themselves and how we put our finances in better shape for the next generation. I am writing to urge you to reconsider airing this show. I hope that as you consider your decision, that you would consider your own state, your own community and your own children. Would you try to portray them in this light?